A Blue Mountains medical sociologist/anthropologist and a local lawyer are conducting a community seminar concerning shaken baby syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy (medical child abuse) and their intersection with child protection, family law, domestic violence and criminal law.

Michael Nott, lawyer, will address how shaken baby syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) are used in child protection, family law and criminal law jurisdictions. The validity of these theories and concomitant medical evidence has come under scrutiny, with an increase in acquittals in the US, UK and Sweden.

Dr Helen Hayward-Brown will address the manner in which parents may be at risk of profiling in these allegations and identify common hospital medical errors blamed on mothers. Mothers who accuse ex-partners of physical, sexual or other abuse in the family law courts are increasingly finding themselves accused of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy as a retaliatory measure.

Community members are invited to the seminar to be held in the Joy Anderson Room at 5.00 pm on Tuesday, 17 July 2018 at the Lawson Mid-Mountains Community Centre, 7 New Street, Lawson.

Dr Helen Hayward-Brown is a medical sociologist/anthropologist with doctoral and post-doctoral expertise in false allegations of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (medical child abuse), in addition to over 20 years’ experience consulting with parents, lawyers, politicians and doctors in Australia, the UK, the US, New Zealand, Germany and The Netherlands.

Lawyer, Michael Nott, practises in the child protection, criminal and family law jurisdictions, with a specific emphasis on medical and scientific evidence, including how it relates to shaken baby syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Mr. Nott deconstructs adverse medical evidence and obtains appropriate medical defence on a client’s behalf, working with medical experts both locally and overseas. It is important that engaged medical experts understand the intricacies and complexities in these matters.

Dr Hayward-Brown and Mr Nott are independent and do not work for any child protection agency or State body.